Euclid mayor touts city's accomplishments, future in State of City address

“Call us a city in transition. Call us a city of change. I think we are the best city in America,” Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik said during the opening of his 11th State of the City address Monday night.
The annual event highlighted the successes of 2013 and the opportunities in 2014 in various areas of the city from recreation to planning and development.
Cervenik focused a majority of the speech on accomplishments the city has made in keeping businesses invested in Euclid, the strength of safety forces, increased communication throughout the city and events and activities residents of all ages can enjoy.
In 2013, Euclid welcomed new businesses and supported new investments from established businesses of all sizes, such as Bluestone Business Park welcoming its first tenant, Remedi SeniorCare, ODOT opening a new facility and University Hospitals breaking ground for an $11 million medical building.
The city has plans to issue a survey to all business owners to identify strengths and weaknesses, and also a newsletter to keep businesses informed.
“I love Euclid, Euclid is perfect for me ... and I am proud to note that over this past year, many business organizations realized that Euclid is perfect for them as well,” Cervenik said.
Several emergency service personnel were recognized during the speech for their hard work and determination to keep residents of Euclid safe.
“The city of Euclid benefits from having the most
professional trained and decorated first responders in the state of Ohio,” he said. “You can be certain that the continued safety of our residents and our city is non-negotiable.”
Cervenik also addressed the upcoming construction projects and bigger plans for an enhanced city such as the Downtown Euclid Transportation and Redevelopment Plan to “reconfigure and redevelop downtown,” Phases Two and Three of the Lakefront Development Plan with marina, beaches and lakefront restaurants, and finding ways to use run-down property in the city, like Holzheimer’s Family Foods.
The city increased recreation opportunities in 2013 with the opening of the fishing pier, basketball courts, dog park, and in 2014, summer concerts could come back to Sims Park.
An update on the housing market was mentioned as well.
“As our city and nation continue to recover from the housing crisis, I am glad to say the city of Euclid’s housing market made some modest improvements ... with the average sales price of a home in Euclid increased by 8.5 percent over the course of 2013,” Cervenik said. “It’s the first time it’s increased in a number of years.”
He said the city will continue to strive to be fiscally responsible and work together for a better community.
“The efficient use of taxpayer dollar will continue to be a pillar of my administration,” he said, mentioning he will use his last 600 days in office to the fullest.
“The state of the city is stronger than ever, but we can be better than that, and we must make every day count. We have a lot of work to do, so let’s get back to work.” he said.

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